Linebeck Trading

This seaside shop sees a fair amount of traffic from adventurers, sailors, and antique collectors alike. The ground floor boasts a variety of eye-catching treasures to draw in potential customers. Some scattered gold coins sit on his counter along with a bunch of treasure maps. Normally it wouldn't be such a great idea to leave such treasures out there on display, but everyone in town understands the price of theft and not many are willing to risk it. The owner is quite confident that the law will protect him, so he's pretty lax and presents a relaxed and casual environment for his customers.

The second floor is Linebeck's living space. Naturally, no customers are allowed here. It sports all the standard amenities including a kitchen, bathroom, etc. Recently a third floor was built, and Linebeck moved his sleeping area up there. The second floor bedroom has been converted into a room where Linebeck keeps his favorite treasures, the ones he has no plans to sell. Most of his merchandise is kept in the basement. Again, no customers allowed in the basement. Though he does keep some hired help that are permitted access.

Services: Find a great treasure while out adventuring but have no idea what to actually do with it? Linebeck Trading is here to help! Linebeck will gladly appraise your treasure and exchange it for the appropriate amount of money. Have nothing to sell? Not a problem! Linebeck will happily sell you a treasure map at a discount along with an agreement that anything you find, you bring to Linebeck for appraisal and exchange. He's also willing to part with any of the treasures he has on display, for the right price of course.

Business Hours: Linebeck Trading is open on Monday - Friday between the hours of 8AM - 5PM. On Saturday and Sunday, he travels to Friezant with his most valuable treasures to auction them off to the wealthy locals.

Leticia stumbles through the door, sopping wet. The sky outside is pouring buckets. As soon as she enters, she apologizes for the mess.

"Sorry to be leaving tracks in here on a day like this. Or any day at all, actually, but it's such a mess. Is this the train station? No, clearly not, I must have gone left instead of right. Ooh, shiny things! How much are they?"

"We deal in only the finest of treasures! I get my stock from adventurers who travel all over the world. If you're looking for something in particular, I might just have it! Or maybe you just want something pretty. Look around. Bring it to the counter and we'll talk price. Just be careful. You break it, you buy it."

Leticia looks over the treasures, until she finds an eyeglasses frame that looks almost identical to hers: thick, sturdy round frames. There is one notable difference: it appears to be made of gold! It likely isn't made out of PURE gold, which would be very impractical. But... it certainly looks worthwhile!

Linebeck opens a large book. "A good eye you have there! Let me just check the catalog...ah there we go! The Gold Specs. An item made almost entirely out of gold! If it were, it'd be incredibly valuable! But there's some impure metals included in the design. Most likely to make sure it retains its shape. As it is though, it's a steal at 4500G!"

"I meant a city map, because I need to find the train station. But treasure hunting sounds excellent too! I, uh, only have 500G left, though, and I need to buy food and somewhere to sleep. Sorry. Maybe next time!"

"Hmm... Linebeck puts his hand to his chin in thought, then instantly looks like he's had a brilliant idea. "Aha! Alright small fry, you look like a good kid. I can tell you really want both maps, so I'll cut you a deal. I only have my one city map, but I can part with it along with one of my treasure maps if you promise to do me a favor. My errand boy ran out on me to go flirt with some skirt he fell for at the local inn. Drag his sorry rear back here, and both maps are yours, absolutely free!

"Of course! I don't expect you to run around in the rain all day on a witch hunt. Here, take my city map. Just bring my no good errand boy back here, and you'll get yourself a nice treasure map in addition to that city map. Oh, and you should know what the boy looks like. Here's his picture."

Several hours later, and right as the shop hours are closing, Leticia returns. She looks decidedly worn, with one lens of her glasses cracked, her hair more messed up than usual, and her clothes singed, and still lightly smoking.

Fortunately, she has the errand boy in a firm grip behind her. His clothes are soaking wet, even more than the weather should cause, and they smell strongly of fish.

"Ah, excellent! You brought my useless errand boy as promised!"Yeah, yeah... The Scout, or as he's known by his cover, The Errand Boy, crosses his arms and grumbles to himself. Linebeck on the other hand rolls up a treasure map and hands it to Lecticia. "And for my end of the bargain, your treasure map, courtesy of my errand boy's paycheck.""Ey! That ain't fair!""Life ain't fair, and neither was your walking out on such short notice!"

"Maybe with this I can get some money and be financially stable again! Thanks again, Linebeck! And thank you, Errand Boy, for not putting up a fuss like the other three guys. You were surprisingly easy to manhandle!" She says all this with the widest smile on her face, so it's not clear if she's genuinely thanking him or teasing him.

"Tch. Whatever, lady." The Errand Boy rolls his eyes. "I thought you might be looking for a quick profit, so I selected a map for you with that in mind. According to the map, the treasure should be somewhere in the lands around town. Bring whatever you find back here, and I'll buy it from you for a fair price. Hopefully whatever I can give you will be enough to last ya for a good while."

"Oh, that sounds great! You're so kind! I'll go right away, and I'll report to you as soon as the shop opens tomorrow!"

--Leticia's Treasure Hunting Journey (abridged version)--:

When Leticia left, her first mission was to find her way out of the city. She decided the main roads were boring, so she decided to take a series of shortcuts. She ended up going through the sewers/tunnel system to the docks, where she boarded a raft to the other docks, where she climbed up onto a city wall and promptly fell off... on the inside, landing in an alley. She scurried along the alleyway and found a group of people sheltering a bonfire from the rain. She was drawn to the fire, but the people there chased her off. She ended up on the main road, right where she had started.

So she left the city the normal way. Or tried to, before she was stopped. Apparently going through the sewers, then floating from Dock A to Dock B, then jumping down from a city wall into an alley... Apparently all this hinted at illegal activity, and the authorities weren't easily convinced she was innocent. She was searched, and fined 500 G, which just happened to be all she had left.

Her mood now as stormy as the skies above, Leticia left the city by the main roads. Night had fallen, and the guards wanted to know why she was leaving. She told them that she couldn't afford a room at the inn, so she was going to go look for treasure.

She kept forgetting which way was north, and which way was right versus left, and so ended up going in two very large circles until she was stopped by a farmer woman, who wanted to know why she was creeping around the farm in the darkness and the storm. Leticia related her unfortunate tale, and the woman gave her some nice warm clothes, a hot meal, and a bed to sleep in for the night. The woman asked if Leticia would in exchange be willing to part with the map.

Leticia didn't want to. It was all she had left, aside from the Gold Specs, which she might have to return in the morning if she was to afford the train ticket to Friezant, let alone housing once she got there.

But Leticia did. She gave the map to the woman, and fell asleep.

In the morning, the woman told her a secret: the treasure was her great-grandmother's, and the map had been hers too. The treasure Leticia needed had been buried in the woman's pumpkin patch! She let Leticia take the treasure and bid her good luck.

Leticia returned to Linebeck Trading with the treasure (an ornate golden carving of a pumpkin) under the warm, inviting morning sun.

"It was..." Leticia pauses to think of the best word to describe it. "Wet. But I found it. It was buried in someone's pumpkin farm. Which makes sense, given that the treasure is a golden pumpkin. Also, the farmer let me sleep in her house, so it was even better than I thought it would be."